Summary:
ZIP code 54421 in Colby, Wisconsin contains exactly one middle school, Colby Middle, which serves grades 6–8 as part of the Colby School District and enrolls 204 students.
Colby Middle’s profile is mixed. On the positive side, chronic absenteeism was 8.3% in 2024–25, below the district’s 8.9% and less than half Wisconsin’s 17.3%, and the dropout rate was 0.0%, compared with 1.1% statewide. The student-teacher ratio of 13.8 is relatively favorable, and per-student spending was $18,727, even though 59.8% of students qualified for free or reduced lunch. Academically, however, the school ranks near the bottom: it placed 550 out of 643 schools in 2025–26, in the 14th percentile with 1 star, while the district ranked in the 4th percentile with 0 stars. Colby Middle has held 1 star across 2023–24, 2024–25, and 2025–26, slipping from the 17th to the 14th percentile. Every reported Forward Exam subject-grade result in both 2024–25 and 2025–26 was below the state average, with 2025–26 gaps ranging from about 10.9 to 31.1 percentage points. The simple average proficiency was about 32.76% versus 55.51% statewide.
The clearest bright spot is 7th grade, where ELA proficiency reached 44.44% and math reached 38.89% in 2025–26, both improving from the prior year, though still below state averages. The weakest areas are 6th grade ELA at 23.88% and 8th grade ELA at 25.00%, both roughly 29 to 31 points below the state. School and district results are nearly identical, meaning Colby Middle essentially represents the district’s middle-grade performance. With only 204 students, year-to-year volatility is possible, but the consistent below-state pattern across subjects and years is meaningful.
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